The third-party UK Visa Portal website exposed at least 100,000 applicant documents, including passport scans and selfie photos, due to a misconfigured web server or application flaw that left the data publicly accessible without authentication. The article does not provide a CVSS score, specific affected software versions, a fixed version, or a technical workaround. Organizations should warn users to only use the official GOV.UK website for visa applications and avoid unaffiliated third-party services.
Data Security UK Visa Portal exposes passport and selfie photos of applicants May 27, 2026 Share By SC Staff (Adobe Stock) A website called UK Visa Portal is publicly exposing the passports and selfie photos of applicants who paid the site to obtain a U.K. immigration visa, based on information published by TechCrunch. An anonymous source alerted TechCrunch to a security lapse on the UK Visa Portal website, stating that at least 100,000 documents, including passports and selfies, are exposed. This website is not affiliated with the U.K. government, and some users have mistakenly paid fees to this third-party service instead of using the official GOV.UK website. TechCrunch confirmed the data leak and verified the authenticity of the exposed information. The website lacks a clear process for reporting security issues or contacting management. TechCrunch attempted to notify the company through its listed email address and its purported legal and public relations representatives, but has not received a response from management, and the security lapse remains unfixed. The U.K. government advises applicants to use its official website for electronic travel authorization applications, as third-party services are generally unnecessary unless retaining an immigration attorney. Source: TechCrunch SC Staff Related Encryption Apple releases quantum-resistant code and verification tools SC Staff May 27, 2026 The release includes implementations of ML-KEM and ML-DSA, two quantum-secure algorithms, along with the formal verification libraries and tools Apple developed. Data Security OnlyFans user data advertised on cybercrime forum, seller claims no direct breach SC Staff May 26, 2026 A user on a cybercrime forum is selling a database of 340 million records allegedly linked to OnlyFans users for approximately $76,000. Data Security Trump Mobile confirms exposure of customer data SC Staff May 22, 2026 Chris Walker, a spokesperson for Trump Mobile, stated that the company is investigating the exposure and has not found evidence of financial information being compromised. Related Events Cybercast Beyond the Hype: The Cybersecurity Trends CISOs are Keeping an Eye on in 2026 On-Demand Event Cybercast Beyond the data perimeter: Why next-generation DSPM is the foundation for modern data security On-Demand Event Virtual Conference Securing the Future of Finance: Strategies to Counter Modern Cyber Threats On-Demand Event Get daily email updates SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news Business Email By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Subscribe Related Terms Ciphertext Cryptographic Algorithm or Hash Cryptographic Hash Functions Data Encryption Standard (DES) Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Decryption Diffie-Hellman Digital Envelope Digital Signature Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) You can skip this ad in 5 seconds